MADISON, Wis. — Protesters took over a Madison Police press conference that was intended to share information regarding an officer-involved shooting of a man who struggled with officers while armed with a knife.
The July 22 incident unfolded when officers responded to reports of a person stealing bicycles and checking vehicle doors, according to a department news release. Police located the suspect, identified as Corey Ruiz, who rode away on a bicycle through backyards before officers encountered him again.
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During the encounter, Ruiz either fell or was pulled from the bicycle, a detail that remains under investigation. Police said a struggle followed in the intersection, during which Ruizpulled out a fixed-blade knife and injured an officer.
Officers attempted to take Ruiz into custody and deployed a TASER, but it was unsuccessful, according to police. The injured officer then fired his weapon. A second officer was also injured, though police said it is not believed the injury was caused by the knife.
Officers provided medical aid before Ruiz was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Four officers were involved in or witnessed the incident. The officer who fired the weapon, described as a veteran officer, has been placed on administrative leave along with the other involved officers.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is conducting an independent investigation.
Incident video
Police acknowledged that cellphone video of the incident is circulating online but said investigators are also reviewing additional video that has not been publicly released.
Protests ensued following the distribution of at least one bystander-captured video. The video appears to show three officers working to subdue Ruiz as one drew a weapon and fired.
The Madison Police Department does not require its officers to wear body cameras, and no bodycam footage was captured of the incident, NBC reported. Previous proposals to fund a camera rollout have failed to pass in city council budgets.
Protest interrupts news conference
On July 23, a critical incident briefing lasted nearly 2 hours as Madison police and city leaders attempted to answer questions about the shooting.
Before the interruption, Police Chief John Patterson said the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation was handling the investigation. He said the agency would eventually identify the officer who fired and submit its findings to the district attorney’s office.
Patterson said he would not offer an opinion about whether the shooting was justified while the investigation was underway. He also acknowledged the community’s strained relationship with the department, noting that the shooting occurred near the locations where Madison officers fatally shot Tony Robinson in 2015 and Paul Heenan in 2012.
Patterson said he would not offer an opinion about whether the shooting was justified while the investigation was underway. He also acknowledged the community’s strained relationship with the department, noting that the shooting occurred near the locations where Madison officers fatally shot Tony Robinson in 2015 and Paul Heenan in 2012.
“Trust in this department is not something any of us can assume,” Patterson said. “It must be earned continuously, and I think it can be lost in a single afternoon.”
As Patterson continued discussing that loss of trust, a protester interrupted him.
“No, you can shut this down and stop talking, because we don’t want to hear anything you’ve been saying,” a protester said during the meeting. That man eventually took the microphone and spoke for about 14 minutes.
A woman also stood at the podium holding a sign that read, “Corrupt cops deserve to die too,” followed by an expletive and “Kill Peterson.”
Patterson continued the press conference after the interruption.
A time dedicated to questions lasted approximately 40 minutes.
